Process Engineer I

Process Engineer I Salary

$49.5K

$87.5K

$142.5K

$92,018

/year

$44.24

/hour

Process Engineer I Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$92,018

Columbus

Ohio

$88,880

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    How much does a Process Engineer I make?

    As of Jul 13, 2026, the average annual pay for a Process Engineer I in the United States is $92,018 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $44.24 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,769/week or $7,668/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $142,500 and as low as $49,500, the majority of Process Engineer I salaries currently range between $74,500 (25th percentile) to $103,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $125,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Process Engineer I varies greatly (by as much as 28500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Process Engineer I in your area makes on average $88,880 per year, or $3,138 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $92,018. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Process Engineer I salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Process Engineer I jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Process Engineer I on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Process Engineer I Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Process Engineer I job is above the national average. Topping the list is Cupertino, CA, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $18,834 (20.5%), and Cupertino, CA, furthers that trend with another $21,508 (23.4%) above the $92,018 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Process Engineer I appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Cupertino, CA, and Santa Cruz, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Process Engineer I role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Cupertino, CA

    $113,526

    $54.58

    Berkeley, CA

    $112,670

    $54.17

    Sitka, AK

    $110,852

    $53.29

    Broken Bow, NE

    $108,672

    $52.25

    San Francisco, CA

    $108,183

    $52.01

    Santa Clara, CA

    $108,069

    $51.96

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $107,997

    $51.92

    San Jose, CA

    $107,844

    $51.85

    Daly City, CA

    $106,620

    $51.26

    Santa Cruz, CA

    $106,249

    $51.08

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Process Engineer I Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Process Engineer I category.

    For example Energy Systems Engineer jobs pay as much as $35,197 (38.3%) more than the average Process Engineer I salary of $92,018. If you're qualified, finding work as a Energy Systems Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Process Engineer I position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Energy Systems Engineer

    $127,215

    $61.16

    Photolithography Engineer

    $115,864

    $55.70

    Proposals Engineer

    $114,462

    $55.03

    Specification Engineer

    $101,752

    $48.92

    Lean Engineering

    $65,624

    $31.55

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Process Engineer I salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $92,018 per year or $44.24 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.